McClelland Homestead
Why it's listed
A two-story, five-bay brick farmhouse in Bessemer, Lawrence County, the McClelland house was built in the 1840s on an 89-acre farm and enlarged in 1879, when a second Italianate porch and a northern section were added. Its elliptical fanlights, flat stone lintels and carved walnut stairway reflect the Federal style, while the central second-story window, flanked by narrow sidelights and a fan-shaped transom, is unusual for the district. The house is larger and more ornamented than contemporary houses in the township, and retains much of its original interior moldings and plaster. Two outbuildings, a barn and a machinery shop, are included for their mid-1800s oak framing and original siting near the house. William McClelland owned the property from 1807 to 1848, and his son Joseph McClelland owned it from 1848 to 1895 and supervised the 1879 work. The farm is an important local example of mid-nineteenth-century vernacular architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is regarded as a fine and more highly ornamented example of the vernacular Federal style in the area, with a unique central pseudo-Palladian window arrangement. The original portion is larger and in better condition than other early houses in the township, and the farm is described as one of the few intact farmsteads remaining there.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89000359, listed May 17, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | McClelland Rd., Bessemer |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Listed | May 17, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000359 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1840-1879 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.99366, -80.45076 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89000359.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6800327
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.